News and Media

Monday 1 May 2023

As demands for healthcare services continue to rise in the Bay of Plenty, Grace Hospital joint owners Evolution Healthcare and Southern Cross Healthcare (Southern Cross) are investing to increase the hospital facilities, services, and car parking space.

The developments will be undertaken in phases to ensure the continuation of services provided at Grace Hospital for patients’ private elective surgeries and procedures.

Commencing in the first week of May, Bay Civil will lead a three-month development to expand Grace Hospitals’ car parking space with an additional 37 parks, providing much-needed space for patients, whānau and families accessing the hospital.

Phase two is a larger development taking place over 12 months with the expansion of the hospital’s endoscopy unit. 

Commencing in the second half of 2023 is Grace Hospitals’ major development to the facility’s west wing. This includes a 10-bed inpatient ward and extensions to the specialist service areas of operating theatres, sterilising, procurement, and biomedical departments. Over $15-million-dollars will be invested in the developments for Grace Hospital through these planned works by Evolution Healthcare, Southern Cross, and property partner Vital Healthcare Property Trust.

“More people require complex surgeries with overnight recovery. Our new 10-bed inpatient ward and support services expansion will provide efficiences and patient throughput for these higher acuity services,” says Ms Keys.

In 2022 Evolution Healthcare and Southern Cross commissioned two modern operating theatres, increasing the theatre suite to nine to support the communities’ need for elective surgeries. Since opening, Grace Hospital has cared for over 1000 patients in their new theatres, increasing the number of patients so far this financial year to 8800.

“Our nine theatres are highly utilised, with our staff and specialists completing around 170 surgical procedures a week for our community.

Evolution Healthcare and Southern Cross are working with us on future developments to increase capacity for the increasing number of patients  with additional  operating theatres, a larger recovery unit, and more inpatient beds. This will allow us to  maintain the efficient and effective private surgical services  Grace Hospital is known for in our region,” says Ms Keys.